Keyboard for typographical machines



Feb. 10, 1931. s. E. SPERRY 1,792,332

KEYBOARD FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINES Filed Sept. 16, 1929 [Flue/17221" Patented Feb. 10, 1931 res;

SAMUEL; SPEBRIDF Hours- W YORK, ASSIGNOB, 'ro In'rnRr'YrE con-roaerron,

orfnnooxn n nnw YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW-YORK 'KnYBoAian r03 FYPQGRAPHICAL MACHINES Application filed September- 13, 1929. Serial No. 393,080.

slugis-fcast; V, The invention relates more particularly to improvements'in the keyboard. for machines of this genera-Lclass whereby'the banking bar: is whichzlimits thetstrokes'oftlie key barsand supports the'key bars in horizontal alinement for proper engagement with; the cam yoke triggers generally used" in such keyboards maybe cleaned with facility and 'thus main- 5 tained in.properdoperatingcondition;

In order to secure-proper operation offa keyboard mechanism of theclass referred to, it'is necessary to maintain the bankingbar and the surface of the key bars engaging therewith, in thoroughly cleaned condition.

Obviously,accumulation of dirt or foreign matter, especially on the underside of the banking bar oron the banking surface ofth'e key bars'which strike the-underside ofthe- 31? banking bar, Will cause the key barsto. rise to diiferent heights and further,-the key bars which fall by gravity after. they are operated, may bind or stick due to dirtraccumulation on the underside of the banking barlor the'notch ofthe key bar engaging therewith, and thus result in faulty operation. The key bars are usually constructed to fall by gravity after operation but'any 'slightf'stickmg due to gummed dirtaccumulation will prevent them- 43 from falling because of the friction and load of cooperating mechanism which their Weight must overcome. Notwithstanding'the' exist ing necessity for" cleaning of thebanking bar and keyibars'" in keyboards of 'this class,v the 45. keyboards as heretofore'geiierally used have been built in such a manner that the bankingbar is permanently 7 doweld and; mounted. therein with screws and: While the banking bar may be removed with suitable t00ls", great diificnltylwouldthen be ncoiintered'beo use 0 sembledin a line from whicha type bar or no provision has heretofore been made for a locking bar to cooperate'with a removable banking bar and without such provision,

When the banking bar istak en out of place,

the key bars will tumble out of engagement with their cooperating mechanism and removal and adjustmentv of a .large p'ortionvof the keyboard I'nechanism would then benecessary to return'the parts to their proper place I and enable replacement of the banking'bar.

"The primary object .of the present 'inven ftionis to provide an improved keyboard key bar bankingbar which wi'll be easily/and quickly removable and replaceablewith 'respect to the rest of the keyboard,- to'permit cleaningof the banking bar and key" bars, without disturbing or requiring dismantling of anytof the associatedv parts of the keyboard mechanism.

' Another object of the i vide'a novel and improved key bar locking? 'vention' is toprobarj which will serve to re tain the key bars in proper 'alinement and register with the as-v sociated parts of the keyboard wh-ile the key bar banking bar is r'emove ch thereby' avoid.

ing displacement of th'e'key bars during cleaning of the bankingban 1 I 3 further. obj ect is to provide an. improved b anklng bar wh ch-may beremovably applied to' existing keyboards or keyboards such P NT, ore-leg;

those heretofore used, withoutrequiring ma: l

terial changes in the: construction thereof.

Tqthese ando-ther ends, the invention cone. 1 sists in certain impro\-'e1nents and combinations and arrangements of parts alllaswill be hereinafter more f ully described,the features of noveltybeing pointed out partied t the end oflthe specifie larly i th c a ms tion i Fig. '1 is a frag'm en't'ary' perspective new of the rear permeate the" keyboardoi a typographical machine-embodying the pres;

ent' invention Fig"; 2 ma det ailperspecti ve view showing two' of the key bars land 'tlie-ir cooperating triggersjia v Fig..3'i's adetail endj'ofthebanking perspective Iriew, of one .i r; andth' ceane 'af ns support ngibl elis;

Fig. 4 is a detail view, partly in section, of the banking bar and the side members of the V keyboard frame, showing the means for dealternate key bars.

tachably mounting the banking bar in the frame of the keyboard and Fig.- 5 is a detail perspective view of portions of the banking bar and a side member of the keyboard frame, illustrating.modified means for mounting the banking bar. 7 v

The invention s'shown in the present 1nstance applied to a keyboard of the kindcommonly used in typographical machines of the class herelnbefore referred to, these keyboards as-heretofore used generally being shown and described for example in U. S.

7 Letters Patent :No: 1,092,?15, granted A pril 7, 191%:to '1. S1 Homans. Since the present invention concernsthe key bars a nd the bankingbar and locking barcooperat'ive therewith, the drawing has been'conl'ined mainly to these portions ofthe keyboa-rd, it being deemed unnecessary to describe intletail the rest-ofthe keyboard construction which well known to thos'eskilled in the art. It may be described generally however as comprising a-frame having uprightside members ,1

which supportatltheir upperends a pair ofrevoluble rollers 2 above which are mounted rows of-cam yokes3 which carry cams 4 which, when the .cam yokes are tripped, rest onthe respective rollers whereby the arecaused to revolve andvto raise the respective'cani yo-ksfthe latter. acting on reeds or.

rods which move upwardly and; actuate escapements which control the-deliveryror" the matrices fromthemagazine. a i 1' r' Thetripping' of the camyokes to-set the respective cams-into operation is controlled by triggers or bellcranklevers 5 on which the respective cam yokes rest, and these triggers are actuated by vertically reciprocatory key r bars 6 which have notches 6 in their upperends to" engage the respective triggers, the

triggers being usually arranged in two'h'orizontal rows, in front-and-in rear respectively I of the row of key bars, and the notches 6 in the upper ends oft the, key bars being arwhen in their normal lowered positibnsaiid thebanking bar tlmsaliiii i'i'g the; key bars horizontally so that they will operative relationship with the respective triggers.

The banking bar provided'by the present invention is indicated-at 8, it engaging in notches 9 formed in the rear edges of the key bars, the'fupper'andlower endsiof these notches being so spaced that they willengage theupper and lower sides of the banking bar 8 so that the latter will limit'the strokes of the 7 key barsa'nd wi l support thjejkey bars While in theirnormal lowered position;

The banking ;bar,-instead ofbeing perma-.

nently mounted in the keyboard frame is, according to the present invention, removably mounted therein. In the construction F shown in Fig 1, blo'cks 10' and 10" are fixed to the upper portions of the keyboard side frame members 1, the'block 10 havinga notch ll forming at its inner side. and also havinga recess 12 formed at its forwardfside and =exj= tendingoutwardly fronrthe notch and the block l0 having arecess 13 formed in its forward side: and extending; outwardly fromits inner edge. One end of the banking bar- S-hasa pin 14 projecting? endwisefromits upper rear corner which is adapted-t0 beinserte'd ndwise into: the recess 13,- afterjthe banking bar has been swung to bring; the

tongue into position to; enter said notch; and

the'oppositeendcof thebankingl bar is ada-pt' ed to enter the notch ll ati thexinner side of the block 10, this 'end of the banking bar having? a l'atch'or sprihg plunger 15; mounted to move eendiv-ise therein and to' pjroj ectfrom:

this end-"of thebanking bar, a-compressedi coil spring 16 being mounted-in the-"banking bar behind'this latch 'or pl-unger and aknob or projection lZis provided the stemofwhich extendsthrough 'aalbngitudinalslot 18' in the banking bar and is :threaded or otherwise: fixed-to the" plunger I5,;ther engagement of the stem or thisknoh with one-' end of the slot 18' limiting: the-outward movement of the l-atch or plunger-amt thereby preventing its detachment from the; banking bar. This latch or plunger-is bevelled" at its forward; side, asshowm softhat 'it will ride on the outer edge of the notch Iland therebyfor'ce the latch into the-respective end of the banking. bar, thus permitting this end of the banking bar to be swung'intothe' notch 11' in the block 1 0, a-nd'aiter the banking bar has reached: its cor-rect operative zposition,:the latchon, pliinger 1 5 willemoveoutward-1y under the action of the spring 16and will engage thenoteh 12' in the; block l O the latch or plunger then rockingthreend ot the banking :11" in its correct operative position, the op positeend oft-he banking-bar being held in place by thefpi-n1-4:: engaging, in there'cess 13. To re-mew the banking. an, it is only ii'e'eessary to retract the-latch o1-: plu1rger .15 by pressure up'on ftli'e knob 17,- sucl1i 'i-etrac;tieir dt-tlre were 'pleugeiqunle ckin r t1 "d oi' the banking bar: from thebleek: 10 and; to

tilt the loweriside of the "banking bar, rearwardly about the (pm 145' as a horizontal axis,

the forward upper edge of the banking bar 5 oiiiwhichEthe upper endsof the hatches 9 in the key bars rest being thereby lowered and allowiiig'the key bars. to drop and rest on the guide plate 7, aftcrfzwhich the end of theibanking bar carryingthe latch orplnnger may ;be' swung rearwardly about the pin 14s,

on'itsiopp'osite endas acenteruntilthe latchcarrying end of the banking bar. is clear-loft the-block 107afterwhich the banking bar can be completely removed by withdrawing the pin; l l-endivise from thevnotc'h 13, and such complete removal of thebanking bait enables its front and upper and lower surfaces to be thoroughly cleaned. The banking bar may be replaced .in the keyboard by firstplacing tilting the lower edge? of said bar forwardly the banking: bargapproxiinately in operative POSltlOll'1Yll3ll the pin I l-engaged in the recess 13 so that theu'pper: forward-corneriof the bankiiigibarwill enter beneath theupper;

ends of the notches 9 in the key bars and then about the pin 14 as a center, thereby causing the upper forward edge of the banking bar to engage the upper ends of the notches 91in the key bars and to lift all of the key bars slightly to bring them to normal position,

after which the end of the banking bar carry ing the latch is pushed forwardly into the notch 11, the latch slipping past the corner of thisnotch and'engaging in the recess :12V

to lock the banking bar rigidly and non-rotatably in operative position. Iii-order to reduce frictionbetween the key bars and the front face of the banking bar, the latter may be grooved longitudinally, assliown, to provide upper. and lower surfaces 19 of reduced area to engage the key bars.

Instead of uslng a banking bar having a flat-ch or vspring'plunger for holding it in place, as just described, a banking bar 8 7 having a fixed knob 17 thereon may be used,

as shown in Fig. 5, the opposite end of this banking bar being the same as that already describedand shown. In this instance, the

relatively fixed block. 100 is formed with a tive side member of the keyboard frame, and" a locking lever 103 is pivoted at 104 on the block 100, it allowing the banking bar to be tilted or rocked about the pins 1 1 and 102' as a horizontal axis to allow the key bars to drop, as indicated by the full lines in Fig. 5 andthen swinging rearwardly for removal, the pin 102 riding upwardly and out'of the slot 101, whilethelever'lOS occupies the full line positionzshown andyacting; when swung intothe;.dotted lines position rsl'iownyto glock the ebankingbar in operative position'a ft-er the banking than: has; been applied Y and? tilted On rocked about; a; horizontalaxis-,=1o the i full lin'el'to the dotted'line positiongt'o slightly aise t ieglieyhars as previous1y@explained re;

SPQCZ'QLIIg; the construction shown in; Figs. g1 to giriiiclusive, av detent ipin 105- being pref-f erably provided in the banking bar to retain v 1 the lever 103 in lo'ckiiig position.

ln order to prevent accidental displaceinentof the key bars which have the notches 6 intheir forward sides to receive the triggers 5, whenthe bankingbariis reinovedfroin: the i keyboard, a key bar lockingibar is provided which will: not only'serve to lock thekeybars will also serveto retain the key bars infplace after =theYbanking bar:hasbeeri reinoved.

This impig'ovedclocking" bar according to: the 1 present invention comprises. an-angle-iron member 23 having horizontal and'vertical flanges 2 1 and 25extendingin rightangular relation, and having? pivots 26 extending from its opposite; ends :in substantial alineinent Withth'e apex formedbetween its flanges and bearing rotatably inthe blocks 1 10.and;10 V respectively, this lockingjlbar. being tiltable about itspivots soithat' it rnay'occupy either the full or the-dotted line p'osition shown 'in Figure 1 11., The; lower. edge of @the vertical flange 25 of the lockingbaris arranged to I rest on, the shoulders 27; formed on the key bars when theilockingjbar is in iliSi locking position shown by. .the full dines; in Fig; 1- it then looking all of .the-key-rbarsjagainst actuation,and .the forward edgejo'fthe horizontal flange 24 of thelooki'ng bar isadapted toibear. againstjorato re naii yin closetjjproxunity to the vertical edges: -forinedon; the key ,ba'rs above the shoulders :27, so that the horizontal flan e-24 of the;;locking' barwill prevent Eirearward tippingv or displacement Many of tliekey barswhi-lethbzinking bar is removed for-cleaning; whether, the. locking' bar. is in its locking positiomshown'yby the full lines or in the unlocked positionias shown by the dotted. lines in Fig. 1;"

It will be understood that the keybars shifted upwardly when actuated by key levers one of which is provided for each key bar, one of these key levers v2Q) being shown in the present instance, it: having. a'lug on its rear end wliic'hengages in 'ainot'ch-30 in the re- 'spective key bar, the'key lever being pivoted in thev keyboard atf31'and provided with a button or finger, piec'e132, the key bars all restingnorina-lly on the banking barybut moving upwardly under the, actionaiof the" re- 3 spective key leversand thereby tripping the respective triggers; and setting-(the: Correspondingrcains into operation to effect the release of the; {matrices if-rom the; magazine. The locking gbarr iiiay :be. rocked about its pivots 26to bring itintolocking or unlocking positionby a'lever'33 a tone side of the keyboard, the rear endof this leverbeing fixed by the screw 34 to' the locking bar 23 so that swinging ofthisileverupwardly into the full:1ine position wi llsetthe looking bar inloeking'position andlower-ing of this lever to the dotted line positionwillset the locking bar in unlockingpositi'on relatively to the key ing bar' in operative position in the keyboard frame;

2. In a keyboard embodying: a fraine'eontannng a row of reciprooatory key bars, a

banking: bar cooperatiwe with the'key bars, to a support them in common alinement, the bankingbar haying'means supporting it on the keyboard frame to tilt on a horizontal ax s to lower and'raise: the ke'y'bars, and means for rigidly securing keyboardfram'ee r a V.

.3 In a keyboard embodying a frame containingarow ofverti'oa l'ly reciprocatory key bars, a banking barcooperative with the key the banking bar to the the'key' bars to'ali ne them, and a locking bar movable into looking and unlocking relation with the-key bars; said locking bar being in' cooperative relation with the keybars while in looking andunlocking positions to maintain the key bars in ali nementwhile the bank ing bar is removed.

1.111 a keyboardembodying. a taining 'arow of reeiprocatory key bars, a banking bar removably-atta'ched to the.--keyboard frame" andnormally cooperative with the key bars to maintain them in alinement, and a locking bar pivotedin the keyboard frame con} frame and having. a flange movable into and out of loekingrela-tion with thekey bars and havinganother flange extending at an angle to the first mentioned flange'and engageable with the key bar'swhile the locking-baris in looking and u ilockinglrelation with the key bars to maintain thekey bars in alinement i while the bankingbar is removed. r

Intestimony whereof I have hereunto set my-hand. I V V. .7 -i .1 i

' SAMUEL SPERRY."

bars to normally suppo'rtqthem inco-mmon horizontal alinement, one end; ofthe banking bar having means to-tilta'bly and'detachably engage the keyboard frame, and a retractable plunger to detaehably connect the opposite end of the'banking bar to the keyboardtrame. 4. In a keyboard embodying aframe *containinga' row ot vertieally niovable key bars,

I bankingbar cooperative with the keybars to normally support them ;in common alinement ancl means for detachably securing the banking bar to the keyboard frame QO111PF1S- ing blocks fixed to the sides of the keyboard 1 frameand having: recesses therein, one end of the banking'bar having a pinto tiltably engage inthe recess t one'of said blocks, and

i a. latch carried-by the oppositeendfof the the otherbloek; d I 1 i In a keyboard embodying a't'raine eonbanking bar and engageablein the recessin p ns taining a; row of reciproeatory key bars, a

banking bar cooperative with the key bars to aline them, one: end of the? banking bar having means formovztblyoonneotmg. it to the keyboard frame, and alatch carried by g the opposite" end of; the banking ba-ri and coo'perative wi tlithe keyboardtra'me to removabty secure the bankilngbar in operative 13 position-therein, saidflateh having aprojec tion: thereon for retracting it.

6 In a keyboard embodying frame eontai'ninga rowof 1=ecipr o'catory 'key bars. a banking bar removably attached to" the keybeard fi arne normatly cooperative with 

